As Bell and TELUS put the finishing touches on their Canada-wide 21Mbps HSPA network that is set to launch next week, press releases announcing their HSPA handsets are coming across the wire at a feverish pace. The latest to be announced is the Windows Mobile 6.5-powered Omnia II which is to be exclusive to Bell. Featuring a 3.7″ AMOLED WVGA display, 5 megapixel camera, Wi-Fi, GPS and 7.2Mbps UMTS/HSPA connectivity, the Omnia II is definitely a nice device that will make many a Canadian happy. And so it should, as Canadian’s patriotism will be tested when they see it in shops as it has been designated the “Official Mobile Device of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games.” Why? Because Bell sure earned that right after it spent an insane $200mm for the right to be the official communications sponsor of the games. Pricing and a specific release date have not yet been announced, but the Omnia II will be available starting next month. Oh, and just for the record, no, we did not edit in the photo of the curling rock. Bell actually seems to be under the delusion that people in Canada enjoy curling. Tsk, tsk.Read

Over the past few weeks, we’ve spoken to quite a few people in the know who have casually mentioned that TELUS is soon going to be flipping the switch on its HSDPA network in a few major Canadian markets. The focus of the soft-launch will apparently be on the Lower Mainland of British Columbia. This information is further corroborated by a tip we received recently from a TELUS engineer who claims that September 2nd is the date that TELUS is eyeing for the soft-launch. The move will not only allow the company to iron out the kinks before a nationwide release, but it will also ensure that it has ample time to get everything thoroughly tested for February 12th, 2010 when all of the world comes to Vancouver and Whistler for the 2010 Winter Olympics (oh hi, HSDPA roaming fees). What makes this even more interesting is the fact that the same people also mentioned a Fall launch for Bell, the official cellular carrier of the 2010 Winter Olympics and a company that happens to have a Canada-wide tower sharing agreement with TELUS. Who’s excited to see Rogers’ HSDPA monopoly come crashing down?